Decisions

Chapter 6

         I eventually got home, it took a little while but I ended up at my house the way I left.  Buut something was different.  It was quite, too quite.  I then noticed what was gone, Laura.  I rejoyced.  Finally my life was going to calm down a bit.  

              After being home for some time, I left again.  I went to the market to get some things for dinner.  I got bread and meat and cheese to make sandwiches, I was too lazy to make anything fancy.  I was heading home when I, once agian, bumped into Coal. "Why are you here?" I exclaimed.  "You invited me to dinner, remember?"  He said it in a very snarky way.  "Oh, yeah.  I had nearly forgotten."  "You still want me over right?" I hesitated.  "Yeah, I'm just worried that your father is going to find out."  Coal placed his hand on my shoulder.  "I promised to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do."  I stared into his eyes for a while.  "We better be going.  I still need to make dinner, I hope you like sandwiches."  He chuckled at my remark, then we headed home. 

               Once I walked in the door, I started making the sandwiches.  "You have a nice house."  Coal told me. I giggled.  "I'm being serious.  I'd take this over a castle any day."  I smirked and continued on making dinner.  Mum still wasn't home and niether was Guy.  "You can sit down you know."  I told Coal while cutting the bread.  "I know. I just prefer standing." I rolled my eyes and his remark.  "Whatever."  I continued making dinner.  

                 I finished putting the sandwiches together then set the table.  Once I finished, mum walked in the door, Guy by her side.  "Oh, you made dinner already Tristen? Well that's a shock."  She walked directly past Coal without saying  word. I don't even think she noticed him.  "Wait, Tristen.  What is the king's son doing in our house?!"  Her face had a look of disbelief, like she could'nt beleive that I was dating the prince, but she didn't know that.  "Well, you see....."  I couldn't find the words to say, my mind was blank.  "Mad'am, Tristen has kindly invited me to your beautiful home for dinner.  I am sorry if it feels like I am intruding."  Coal spoke the words that wouldn't come out of my mouth, he spoke them so clearly ,so confidantly.  "Oh, well when you put it that way, I guess that it's fine."  I looked at Coal and mouthed the words thank you. He nodded in return.

                       We sat at the table and ate in peace.  My mom then broke the silence.  "So, Tristen.  What is the real reason why you invited the prince here?"  I looked at her blankly.  I couldn't tell her we were dating.  I couldn't tell her that I loved him.  "He's a friend."  I finally said.  She stared at me for awhile.  "You never told me that."  I sighed.  "I don't have to tell you my whole life story you know."  Her eyes filled with anger.  I said what I said because she's always getting in my buisness and it pisses me off.  "Well then."  Mom said then rose from the table.  "I'm going to Beth's.  I will be back soon."  She left the house.  I bit my lip.  "Hey, don't beat yourself up.  It wasn't your fault.  You were just speaking your mind."  Coal told me in calming manner.  "Thanks, you always know what to say."  I told him with a smile.  

                   It was getting late and mom still wasn't back yet.  I started to worry.  I was in the sitting room with Coal and Guy.  I was on the couch, while they were on the floor arguing about who was going to win the joust in three days.  They sounded real stupid but I just laughed.  

                    It was really dark outside now.  I layed my head on Coal's shoulder and nearly fell asleep.  I haven't slept in days and was really tired.  Sleep sounded real good right now.  I shut my eyes and began to sleep.  Just then I was awaken by the sound of my mom and her friends entering the house.  They all looked and sounded drunk.  "Can y'all shut up! Guy's sleepin' and so was I till you guys came here!"  This was the third time this week that mom has come home drunk.  I was sick of it.  There she goes again pissing me off.  I was done. I climbed off the couch and went to my room with Coal, who was carrying Guy.  

                       He set Guy on my bed while I closed the door shut.  "You look mad,"  Coal said, while I sat down on the floor.  "I'm not mad, I'm furious."  Furious wasn't even close to how I felt.  My blood was boiling.  I was sick of her.  She doesn't even act like a mother.  "Why so mad?"  He said sitting down next to me.  " 'Cause of her."  "What did she do that so horrible?"  I took a deep breath, trying not to yell so Guy didn't wake.  "You know this is her third time coming home drunk this week. Third."  Coal looked sympathetic, but he will never understand what I'm going through.  "And she treats me like dirt."  She was never a mother to me.  Never.  But I couldn't tell Coal.  He was the prince. He would probably get his father to take her away or something.  That wouldn't be fair.  She deserves worse than that.  "What has she done that's so bad?"  I took another deepp breath.  "Promise not to tell?"  He looked at me blankly for a second.  "Promise."  I took another deep breath.  "Not even your father, no one.  You hear?"  He looked me again.  "I hear."  I choked back tears.  "Good, so here it is,"  I looked into his eyes. "Well, she always comes home drunk, she beats us, and curses at us, and works us to near death.  She starves us and, and,"  I couldn't do it, I couldn't hold it in much longer. The tears rolled down my face.  "Hey, no don't cry."  Coal said rubbing my shoulder.  He wouldn't understand.  No one does.  "Your the only person who knows this, other than Guy.  And you can't tell anyone."  He sighed.  "Tristen, I think I might have to." "You promised!  You can't!"  He looked at me.  "I promised 'cause I didn't know it was so serious."  I pushed his arm off me.  "So your gonna tell your dad now?"  The tears came down harder.  "Only if it gets worse."  I stood up off the ground and wiped my eyes.  I didn't want Coal to see me like this.  I was embarassed.  Right then, I heard my mom shouting my name.  I walked out the room.  "What do you want?"  My mom rolled her eyes.  "Don't snap at me."  She paused for breath.  "Go to Ella's and get us some more beer."  I looked at her in disbelief.  "No."  I shouted.  She struck my arm, hard.  I winced.  "Go. Now."  I bit back tears of pain.  Holding my arm I looked into her eyes.  "No."  She struck me agian.  This time harder.  I fell to the floor in agony.  "No. I'm not going."  She kicked me in the ribs.  I couldn't hold it in.  I screamed in pain.  Tears rolled violently down my face.  Coal ran from my room to my side.  I saw Guy standing in the hallway just looking. He wasn't shocked.  But he was scared.  I saw it in his eyes.  Coal helped me to my feet.  My body was trembling.  I fell back down to the floor.  I couldn't stand without stabbing pain in my chest.  A pain too great to bare.  Coal picked me up in his arms.  "How could you do this to your own daughter!"  Before she could say or do anything, Coal brought me back to my room.  He layed me on my bed.  Guy sat at the end just staring at my trembling body.  Tears wouldn't stop pouring out of my eyes.

                      Coal pulled up my sleeve to look at the wound on my arm.  It was a large, oddly shaped circle.  It was coloured black and blue. He touched it.  I winced in pain.  "Sorry."  My chest hurt so bad, I was so out of breath.  I was gasping for air.  I just kept crying. I couldn't breath.  I couldn't bare the pain much longer.  Coal pulled my haed to his chest.  He was crying too, I could hear it and feel it.  I felt like I was going to pass out.  The lack of air was getting to me.  I felt light headed and weak.  I closed my eyes.  Even though I was injured I felt safe and secure in Coal's arms, like nothing happened.  I started to gasp for air even more now.  My chest hurt so bad.  I passed out to the sound of crying and yeling, in Coal's arms.